Comforting

Interesting perceptions you have offered regarding our unintentional impacts on the world...

This is pleasing image capture. I like the eye contact and the improved contrast from your other posting.

Those faces are amazing. I love that the fur looks so soft and warm against that snow background.

Hi Gary,

Capturing those dramatically coloured faces adds (for me) more visual interest to this image compared to your previous post. I'm still thinking the contrast on the subjects themselves (especially on the fur) is lower than optimal. Did you use flash-fill here? To me it appears that way, based largely on the bright catch-lights in the eyes of the subject (and may partly explain the reduction of contrast owing to the lack of shadows in the image). If you did use flash-fill here, I would argue it's slightly over-done (it's my opinion if flash fill is immediately noticeable it's too heavy).

In terms of your comments about the observer effect: while this is stretching the analogy a little, I suspect the original principle (and equations) didn't include the enhanced effect of using a flash on the behaviour of that which is being observed! Just kidding - not giving you a hard time about using a flash (if you did)...

Cheers...

Brad

I like this one much better than the other one. The faces are very expressive I'm just not sure what they are expressing. This reminds me of photos of displaced refugee women that I see in the news with their starving children clinging to them. I'm sure the snow monkey's plight isn't as bad as the starving refugees but thats what I think of when I look at this shot. I agree with Brad that the flash fill is just a tad too strong. Anyway a very nice shot.

Thanks to everyone for your comments.

Brad & Robert: Yes a fill flash was used to compensate for the underexposure by the camera due to the white snow. Another factor which contributed to the 'washout' effect is the present of steam from the hot spring and the cold air.

Very interesting pose and setting ! I agree with Brad's suggestion about lower intensity of flash. In fact it is effecting the mood of the picture.
Jagdeep Rajput

Hi Gary, being fascinated by snow monkey images by Marsel van Oosten, Jasper Doest and others, I have always wanted to go and photograph these for myself. However, your description of the situation that photographers at times outnumber the monkeys really disappoints me and I might scratch this item from my wishlist...

Great image though, much stronger than your previous post! i do agree with the comments made about the washed out look, but am sure that in PS you can correct this.

Vincent:
I hope I am not giving you the wrong impression about visiting the monkey park. There are about 250 monkeys in the park. When I was there, there were about 4 bus loads of tourists. As you have to walk about 30 minutes into the park, this helps to disperse the visitors somewhat. Most visitors tend to congregate around the hot pool area and visitors may out number the monkey in this area. But there are other monkeys scattered in the park and you can certainly have some of these to yourself if you walk away from the pool.

It is actually no where as congested as safari in Ngorongoro. I remember seeing more than 50 vehicles crowding around a lion kill when I was there last year.

Nice comp and I like the fact you got the eyes of both monkeys.

This photo is amazing. You captured the beauty and feelings of this mother and child. This is the type of photo that evokes feelings when I look at it. Thank you for sharing.

Laura Stafford